Jacob&#39;s ladder



Patented Aug. 8, 1944 JAoos LADDER f Edward J. Schneider, New York, N.Y., assignor to John B. Salterini and Nan B. Salterini, copartners doingbusiness under the firm name and style of John B. Salteriniompany,NewYork,` N. Y.

Application September 1, 1942, Serial No. 456,916

6 Claims, (pl. 228-40) This invention relates generally to improvementsin ladders, and pertains more particularly to improvements in Jacobsladders such as are commonly used on ships.

Jacobs ladders as at present constructed, have 'T either wooden or steelsteps and these have certain objections ordrawbacks which are overcomeby the ladder of the present invention. In the case of those laddershaving wooden steps, the steps or rungsfrequently become destroyed whereabandonment of a ship is necessary because of. re either in the ship or,if theship should bel a tanker, from the burning oioil on the water,thereby leaving only the double chain hanging from the side of the ship.Ladders employing an all steel step are objectionable because when usedin cold climates the steps freeze to the hands when it is necessary thatthe ladder be used dur,- ing freezing weather.l Y

The principal object of the present invention isto provide an improvedconstruction of Jacobs ladder having steps formed both of steel and woodso that the stepscannot be burned away completely in the event that theladder is used where iire can come into contact with it, and if used infreezing weather it will not be necessary for the hands to come intocontact with metal, and thus the freezing of the hands to the steps isavoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a J acobs ladder usingchains of the lock weave pattern with a novel means of coupling thesteps ofthe ladder Vto the chains whereby the width of the chain links`will be presented to the side of the ship, thus making it relativelyeasy to roll up and unroll` the ladder.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description of the same proceeds and the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it being understood,however, that the invention is not to be considered as limited by thespecific illustration or description but that such illustration anddescrip-- tion constitute a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a Jacobs ladderconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the seme beingshortened by breaking out a portion between the ends thereof.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2.2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the lineS--B of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view onr the line /i-e oi 'Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 oi Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing,lit will beA seen that inFigure l the ladder constructed in accordance with the present inventionhas been shown in elevation, and the upper and lower ends thereof areillustrated to 'show how both ends are constructed alike so that',

although the ladder has a-right and a wrong way to be suspended for use,it may, nevertheless, be used without confusion if it shouldaccidentally be thrown over the side of the ship for suspension thewrong way.

The numeral I6 designates the suspension chains between which the stepsare connected, the steps being generally indicated by the numeral --I I.

The chains Illv are of-the type having the elon- 'gated links I 2 whichare pivotally joined together by a woven lock between the Afree ends ofone link and the looped end of yan adjacent link, thus forming the hingejoint I3.

Ladders of this character are made generally to have thirty-ve` andforty-'four step lengths and a portion of each chain extends above thefirst or top step and below the last or bottom providing the free endsas shown. Each ci these upper and lower free ends is provided with anattaching ring I4, usually about three inches in diameter, and theserings vare employed for an" choring an end'of the ladder to the ship.

'By providing the attaching-or anchoring rings I4 at both ends of theladder, confusion will be avoided in the event that the wrong end of theladder isthrown overiirst.v

The steps II are made up of thetwo rungs l5 and I6. The rung i5' is ofmetal while the rung I6 is of wood, and these are secured together, asshown, in parallel relation so that when the ladder is supported rightend up, the metal rung I5 will be below the wooden rung and,consequently, if the ladder is used in freezing weather the usersthereof will not be required to take hold of the metal, as it will bepossible to hold on to the steps by engaging the ngers over the woodenrung only.

Each metal rung is in the form of a channel bar having a bottom IS andvertical side anges I1 and at each end the bottom I6 has the in egraldownturned attaching ears I8 while the side anges I'I have the integraloutwardly turned attaching ears I9 by which the end of the metal rung issecured to the center of one side of the disc-like buier ear 20.

The buffer ears 20 function to space the ladder a sufficient distancefrom the side of the ship to give the user plenty of room to get hisfoot on the step and to grasp the step without striking the adjacentside ofthe vessel.

Each end of the bottom portion I6 of the metal rung is provided with ashort longitudinally extending slot 2|. engaged a link of a chain belowthe hinge joint In each of these slotsis between that link and the nextlink above, as

shown in Figures 2 and 3. locked to the end of the steel rung so as toprevent the rung shifting lengthwise of the link, by the extensionthrough that link lying above the joint nearest the rung, of thesubstantially U-shaped fastener or lip 22, the legs 23 of which extenddown into the channeled steel rung and are then reversely bent 0rreverted to form the hooks 24.

The hooks 24 of the attaching clips 224 are secured in position byengagement beneath the inwardly bent portions 25 of the steel rung sideflanges I1. These inwardly bent portions extend throughout the length ofthe steel rung and have an additional function to that of engaging overthe upturned hooked ends of the legs 23 of the clips. The additionalfunction of these inturned portions of the flanges is to secure orassist in securing in position in the channel-like steel rung l5, thewooden rung I6.

Asvshown in Figure 4, the wooden rung i6 is half circular and halfsquare, the circular portion forming the top of the rung and the squaredside forming the bottom thereof and resting upon the bottom wall I6'V ofthe steel rung. The opposite sides of the wooden rung are cut inslightly adjacent the squared bottom to form a narrow shoulder 26 andthe edges of the inturned portions 25 engage on these shoulders and thuslock the wooden rung in position. In addition, transverse securing pins21 are run through the wooden rungs and through the flanges Il and theinturned portions 25 thereof, thus rmly coupling the two rungs together.

The wooden rungs are shorter than the steel rungs, as clearly shown inFigure 1, so that they lie entirely between the suspension chains andproper space is provided between the ends of the wooden rungs andthebuffer ears, for the chains and the securing clips 22.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the Jacobs ladder ofthe present invention The chain is then flanges and having portions ofthe side flanges turned inwardly toward the bottom, each end of eachchannel portion having a longitudinal slot in which a link of the chainpositions, a buffer ear secured to each end of the metal portion uponthe outer side of the chain, a substantially U-,shaped clip at each endof each metal portion extending through a chain link and having hookedends engaged under the inturned portions of said anges, and each stepAfurther comprising a wooden lportion positioned in the channel of eachmetal portion and extending above the side flanges thereof andterminatingl at its ends short of the chains, each wooden portion havinga shoulder formed along each longitudinal side over and against whichthe free longitudinal edge of the adjacent inturned flange portionengages.

2. A Jacobs ladder comprising a pair of side chains, steps locatedbetween said side chains, each of said steps comprising a channel barhaving inturned side flange portions, a wooden portion partially housedwithin the channel bar between the inturned flange portions, and a U-shaped clip extending through a link and having hook-like end portionssecured beneath the inturned portions of the flanges.

3. In a Jacobs ladder, a pairof side chains, a step rung located betweensaid chains, each end portion of the step rung having a slot throughwhich a chain link is disposed, and a U-shaped securing member extendedacross each end portion of the step and disposed through a link of theadjacent chain above the link extending through the sloty said memberhaving its ends secured to the step rung immediately adjacent to thechain.

4. In a Jacobs ladder, a pair of side chains, a step rung interposedtherebetween, each ex tremity of the step rung having a slot throughwhich the link of a side chain is disposed, and a securing memberextending across each end of the step rung and connected to the steprung at opposite sides of the adjacent chain and extending through alink of the .chain above the link extending through the slot.

5. A step for a Jacobs ladder comprising a channel bar having in anddownturned side flanges having downwardly directed edges, and a woodenrung within the channel bar between the side anges, the sides of thewooden rung being provided with upwardly facing shoulders which areopposed and engaged by the downwardly directed edges of said sideflanges for holding the rung in position on the channel bar.

6. A Jacobs ladder comprising a pair of side chains, steps locatedbetween said chains, each of said steps in its extremities having slotsin which are positioned links of the side chains, clips extendingthrough links of the side chains above the links extending through theslots, and means for securing each of the clips to the step at oppositesides of the chain.

EDWARD J. SCHNEIDER.

